


Stay, Please VIII: No Ultimatums

by Tifer14



Series: Stay, Please [8]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-02
Updated: 2015-12-02
Packaged: 2018-05-04 13:20:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5335595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tifer14/pseuds/Tifer14
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aaron and Spencer continue to navigate their relationship through the perils of ex-wives, cute bartenders, and anthrax. You know, just like every other couple.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stay, Please VIII: No Ultimatums

**Author's Note:**

> So, I'm trying to get back into this series. Stay, Please was the first fanfic I ever wrote and I think (hope) my writing has changed a bit since then so there may be a slight difference in style.

“And you’re happy with that?” Emily asked hesitantly, picking at the stale croissant in front of her. She didn’t know why she kept ordering one from the coffee shop across the street. They always looked so good and tasted so bad.

 

Spencer drained his coffee and crossed his legs, looking out across the street at the agents milling around the courtyard of Quantico. “I was miserable without him, Em,” he started fiddling with his watch. “It’s not quite what I imagined. I mean, I was really excited about moving in together but we practically live together anyway so I guess it doesn’t really matter. An I’ll still get to see Jack. I just have to go back to my apartment once he goes to bed. It’s a compromise. Isn’t that what relationships are about?”

 

“Sure, Spence, but usually it’s a compromise between the two people in the relationship. Not the ex-wife.”

 

Spencer shrugged. He knew that. Still, it didn’t seem like they had much choice. “I’ll take Aaron any way I can have him. I know that makes me pathetic.”

 

“No, honey,” Emily reached out and grasped Spencer’s hand until he looked into her eyes. “You are not pathetic.”

 

“What am I then, Emily?”

 

“In love.”

 

“Love sucks.”

 

“I’ll drink to that,” Emily murmured, raising her coffee.

 

Spencer stared out at the sea of black suits, eyes hidden behind dark glasses with only brief snippets of colour from red or blue ties. It was all so uniform and boring. At first glance, Aaron fit in with them perfectly but he wasn’t boring. He was passionate and sexy. He was intensity and fire. For Spencer, he was oxygen. Living without Aaron Hotchner simply wasn’t an option. A bright cyclone of colour caught his eye and he couldn’t help but grin. Emily stood, waving her arms “Hey, Penelope!”

 

Garcia looked over at them with a broad grin and pulled on Morgan’s arm, re-directing them towards their friends. “Hey honeys! What’s new this fine morning?” She grinned as she perched on the arm of the bench, slinging an arm around Emily’s shoulder and pulling her into a hug.

 

“Aaron and I got back together,” Spencer smiled softly and Garcia let out a little shriek of joy while Morgan looked mildly concerned, folding his arms across his chest and looking down at his best friend.

 

“So when do I need to do my computer voodoo so you can start shacking up officially in a totally unofficial way? Oh my God, you guys will need to have a housewarming party! We need to think of a theme.” Emily stopped her rambling with a hand one raised hand and let Reid speak.

 

“We’re not going to move in together.”

 

“Oh,” Garcia paused, looking a little quizzical. “I guess it makes sense to give it some time. Not jump right into it.” Emily snorted but left it up to Reid if he wanted to elaborate. He didn’t. So he just nodded his agreement. Garcia smiled encouragingly and started telling them all about this amazing little boutique cupcake place that she’d found in Georgetown. “You wouldn’t believe how cute their cupcakes are,” she squealed, showing Emily pictures on her phone as they headed into the building.

 

Morgan pulled Spencer away from them with a firm hand on his elbow. “So, Pretty Boy, what’s the whole story?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Come on, kid. You’re back together with Hotch, right?” Spencer nodded. “So how come you guys didn’t ride in to work together?”

 

Spencer looked down at his shoes. “It was his weekend with Jack. He was dropping him off at pre-school.”

 

“And? You guys always dropped him off together. What’s changed?”

 

“I’m not allowed to stay over on nights Aaron has Jack anymore.”

 

“Who says?” Morgan spluttered indignantly, coming to a full halt in the foyer.

 

“Hayley,” Spencer muttered.

 

“What’s she got to do with it?”

 

“She’s his mother, Derek.”

 

“And Hotch is his father. He’s cool with this?”

 

Spencer and Aaron had spent most of Thursday night discussing Hayley’s terms. No, Aaron wasn’t cool with it but he thought they were relatively fair. Spencer had nodded his agreement though he was still feeling a little torn up inside. It had been fun having a family, being a dad to Jack. He could still read him his bedtime story but he missed, and he couldn’t believe that he actually missed this, he missed being woken up at the crack of dawn by an over exuberant kid nailing him in the kidneys with an elbow as he jumped on the bed. It had sucked that the first weekend after getting back together they had spent every night apart but they’d still gone to the park and the Natural History Museum. He’d still spent time with Aaron, more time that he had thought he would ever get again.

 

“It’s a compromise,” Spencer fell back on the line he’d used for Emily too.

 

Morgan sighed, “I guess so. I just don’t want you being hurt. And she’s treating you like you’re dangerous.”

 

“Hayley doesn’t approve of homosexuality. She’s very traditional.”

 

“I know. Doesn’t make it right.”

 

“No,” Spencer conceded but Morgan dropped the subject and they headed up to the BAU together.

 

Aaron ran in about ten minutes later looking flustered. His tie was untied and his shirt barely tucked in as he attempted to shove a muffin into his mouth and talk on the phone at the same time. Still, his eyes smiled at Spencer as he ran past and he motioned with his head for Spencer to come up to his office. Spencer grinned back and followed him up the stairs.

 

“Yes, sir.” Aaron swallowed heavily around a bite of muffin and cleared his throat. “I said, yes, sir. Of course. I’ll look into it right away. Have a good morning.” He hung up his phone and shoved the last bite into his mouth before turning to the window and shutting the blinds. “Hi,” he breathed as he stepped into his lover’s space and gave him a warm kiss.

 

“Hi,” Spencer replied, toying with the ends of Aaron’s tie. “I’d tie this for you but I know you’d just re-do it because it was squint.” Aaron looked down in confusion.

 

“Oh, shit. I meant to do that in the car but the deputy director phoned and I was already running late.” Aaron finished tucking his shirt in and started measuring the tie ends to make sure they’d be equal before flipping and looping them into a perfect Windsor knot.

 

“You? Late?” Spencer teased. “Sleep through your alarm?” He knew that was a physical impossibility.

 

Aaron sighed and deflated slightly. “Jack threw a tantrum when he realised he wouldn’t see you before he went to school.”

 

“Oh,” Spencer couldn’t stop the way his heart clenched in his chest. “I missed seeing him too and doing the school run.”

 

“I know,” Aaron murmured. “I’m sure we’ll all get used to this new arrangement.”

 

“Yeah, of course.” Spencer tried for a convincing tone but he knew it fell flat. Aaron looked up at him with sad eyes and cupped the side of his face. Spencer covered his hand with his own. “You could call me. You know, maybe if he got to talk to me in the morning it would be enough.”

 

Aaron smiled softly, “That’s a good idea. I think Jack would like that.”

 

“It’s going to be okay, Aaron.” Spencer sincerely hoped that by reassuring his partner, he’d somehow manage to also reassure himself.

 

“Of course,” Aaron agreed flippantly but the crease between his eyebrows spoke a different story. “Will you stay, please, at mine tonight?”

 

“I’d love to,” Spencer kissed him lightly and headed for the door. This could work, he assured himself. After all, they’d been through so much together. This was nothing but a blip compared to the test of their compartmentalisation that came in the form of Owen Savage and Benjamin Cyrus or the horrors of New York. Aaron’s hearing was still recovering and Spencer was still struggling with his partner’s obvious continuing attraction to blondes. Spencer wasn’t one to think ill of the dead but the way that Englishwoman had touched Aaron’s arm made his skin crawl and his fists curl. If they’d survived all that, then they could handle Hayley’s demands.

 

A month passed this way and Spencer was miserable. They hadn’t been travelling much for cases so Hayley was being very accommodating and letting Aaron have Jack every weekend. Aaron was ecstatic. Jack was ecstatic. Spencer was ecstatic until he had to go home in the evening. It wasn’t just that he felt like he was being punished for being gay like he was some kind of sex offender who couldn’t come within fifty feet of his partner’s kid at night, it was that he was slowly realising that his relationship with Aaron, as it was, had absolutely no future. They’d reached a sort of stagnation where Aaron seemed perfectly happy and Spencer wanted to scream with frustration.

 

It was raining so he and Emily were clustered together under the canopy of their coffee shop while she sucked desperately on the last drags of her cigarette.

 

“Do you think Aaron would notice if I started smoking?” Spencer asked morosely, staring into the rain.

 

“I’m pretty sure that he’d smell it on you, Spencer,” Emily looked at him with one eyebrow quirked, “and taste it.” Spencer sighed heavily. “Ok, out with it. I’m sorry to say but you can’t pull off brooding. You just look like a damp puppy.”

 

“I’m not a damp puppy. What does that even mean?” Spencer spluttered.

 

“You’re not happy,” Emily prodded gently.

 

“No,” Spencer agreed.

 

“It’s the compromise, isn’t it?” Spencer nodded. “Have you talked to Hotch about it?”

 

“You know,” Spencer began and knew that this was going to sounds incredibly mean but at the moment he didn’t care. “I can totally see how Aaron was blindsided when Hayley left him. He is one of the sharpest and most perceptive agents in the field but at home he can’t see what’s right in front of his face.”

 

“He doesn’t realize you’re miserable.”

 

“He’s happy, Em. This is enough for him but, you know me, I can’t turn my brain off. I can’t stop thinking about the future and the fact that we don’t have one.”

 

“You’re very young, Spencer – “

 

“Don’t.”

 

“Would you let me finish? Jeez, it wasn’t a criticism. You are young, very young to settle down. You’ve been with Hotch on and off for over a year now. I’m guessing you didn’t date much before him?”

 

“I wasn’t a virgin, despite what Morgan thinks.”

 

“Morgan’s an idiot and I didn’t ask about that. Did you have a serious relationship with someone else before Hotch?” Spencer shook his head. “I’m playing devil’s advocate here because I do think you and Hotch are the real deal but maybe you need to test the waters a bit more.”

 

“We just got back together, Emily, and you’re telling me to what? Ask for a break? Cheat on him?”

 

“No. Never. I don’t know. I’m really crap at this, you know. I suck at relationships and love but I just want to see you happy and you’re not.” Spencer shrugged and Emily stubbed out her cigarette on the side of the bin before looping her arm with Spencer so they could both shelter under his umbrella as they jogged across the road and into Quantico.

 

“I need to talk to him,” Spencer sighed as they stepped into the elevator.

 

“Yup that’s probably the best idea. If it doesn’t work we’ll get you drunk again and he can try and break down my front door.” Spencer just groaned at the memory and Emily bumped their shoulders together. “Sit down with him after work this evening and spell it out. Hotch is a problem solver and he’s awesome at working around the rules without breaking them. You’ll figure something out.”

 

“I hope you’re right.”

 

That discussion never happened. An hour later they were sitting around the round table looking at pictures of disembowelled women. Two hours later they were on a plane to Atlanta, Georgia and learning about the art of the pick-up in all its seedy glory. The usual whirlwind of a case took hold of them and they barely slept for three days as they hunted. Spencer and Aaron exchanged nothing more than a weary smile for the whole time so when Morgan prompted him to try a little in the club it wasn’t too hard to hit on the pretty bartender who smiled genuinely at him. Her smile looked like a bright future.

 

When they landed back in Washington, Spencer mumbled some excuse and went home alone despite Aaron’s frown and Emily’s worried looks. Aaron finally cornered his partner the following day for lunch, practically dragging him out the door for sandwiches in their favourite nearby park.

 

“I feel like I haven’t see you for days,” Aaron muttered, brushing a lock of hair off Spencer’s face. “I missed you.”

 

“Yeah,” Spencer agreed noncommittally, taking an unusually enthusiastic bite from his sandwich.

 

“Emily thought I was being too hard on Jordan,” Aaron murmured, he turned on the bench so that he was looking fully at Spencer who refused to meet his eye.

 

“You can be rather rigid,” Spencer agreed.

 

“She lied.”

 

“I know.”

 

“What’s going on with us, Spencer? Are we okay?”

 

“No, not really. Aaron, this isn’t working like this,” Spencer twisted the strap of his messenger bag and looked at his feet. “I know you say it’s a compromise but where are we going?”

 

“Is this about Austin?”

 

“Aaron, this is about us.”

 

“Are you going to call her? I heard you two really hit it off.”

 

Spencer finally met his eyes. “I would never cheat on you, Aaron. Never.”

 

“So, are you breaking up with me?”

 

“No. I – I just gave her my number for the case.”

 

“Come on, Spencer. I know you. I know you’re not that naïve.”

 

Spencer huffed out a sigh. “Look, Aaron. I called her to see if she was okay. It was really traumatic what she went through but, yes, she’s sweet, she’s nice, I’m attracted to her.”

 

“So, that’s it?”

 

“I don’t know. She – um – she sent me back this.” Spencer handed him the business card with the lipstick mark on the back. Aaron took it with one eyebrow raised.

 

“She really likes you.”

 

“Aaron, I don’t want to break up with you. I love you.”

 

“But?”

 

“But I can’t live like this with Hayley’s terms. They make me feel like a sexual predator. I’m not allowed to be there when your son is sleeping. I’m surprised she lets me be around your son at all. We were ready to take the next step in our relationship, to move in together, and now that’s indefinitely on hold. I know this should be enough for me –“

 

“No, no. You’re right, Spencer. It’s not fair and it’s not fair of me to expect you to live with these limitations. I just want the best of both worlds.”

 

“Aaron don’t do that. Don’t make yourself into a martyr.”

 

“I didn’t mean to. I just – I don’t know. What can I do? I have to choose Jack.”

 

“You shouldn’t have to choose at all. I’m sorry but,” Spencer brushed his hair behind his ear and visibly steeled himself before looking into his partner’s eyes. “But she’s your ex-wife, Aaron. She isn’t a part of this relationship and you cannot allow her to dictate the terms of this relationship anymore. Stand up to her, Aaron.”

 

“I – I don’t know if I can, Spencer. It’s Hayley.”

 

“For god’s sake, Aaron.” Spencer blew out an explosive sigh and rose from the bench, brushing crumbs from his trousers before turning back to the sad looking man on the bench. “Look, I’m not breaking up with you, certainly, not for Austin. I love you. I’m not giving you an ultimatum and I’m not going to repeat our past mistake of thinking that we can be happy without each other but at the moment I don’t think that we’re particularly happy with each other. So, you have to try. For us,” Spencer hesitated again, biting at his lower lip, “and for Jack. He’s not benefitting from this arrangement either and it’ll only get worse as he gets older. What are you going to say when he starts asking why I can’t be around? What’s Hayley going to tell him?” Spencer nodded once decisively before turning to walk back into Quantico, leaving Aaron with his thoughts and a tight knot in his stomach.

 

It was nearly the end of his lunch hour before he finally galvanized himself to act. Pulling out his phone, he threw the remains of his lunch in the trash and dialled Hayley.

 

“Aaron?” she answered surprise in her voice.

 

“Hayley. Look, we need to re-think the current arrangement. It’s making me miserable. It’s making Spencer miserable. And, most importantly, it’s making Jack miserable.”

 

Hayley released a laboured sigh and Aaron could picture her twisting her hair around one finger as she weighed her words. “I know,” she finally admitted, “I didn’t realise how attached he had become to your – your boyfriend.” The word was laced with distaste.

 

“He’s my partner.” Hayley made a non-committal noise. “I won’t ask him to leave when Jack is staying over anymore.”

 

“Then maybe you won’t get to see Jack.”

 

“Don’t do that, Hayley. I know you’re angry at me but don’t take it out on our son.”

 

“I want to meet him.” Hayley suddenly blurted out.

 

“Spencer?”

 

“No, the Pope. Of course, Spencer.”

 

“Okay,” Hotch hesitantly agreed. “When?”

 

“How about a week on Sunday? We can meet for brunch at that little diner that has the play area. That way I can see him with Jack.”

 

“Okay. Fine. I’ll let Spencer know.”

 

“Fine. Bye.” Hayley hung up and Hotch was once again left with a tight knot in his stomach but at least it was accompanied by a feeling of purpose. Now just to decide whether to forewarn Spencer about the meeting or to spring it on him at the last minute.

 

In the end, the decision was made for him by procrastination and the birth of Henry Jareau-LaMontagne. When Aaron arrived at the hospital, he was met by a rather pale looking Spencer who informed him in a hollow voice that JJ had decided that he was to be Henry’s godfather.

 

A broad grin spread across Aaron’s face, “That’s wonderful, Spencer! You can stop looking like someone died.”

 

“No. I mean yes. I’m ecstatic. It’s wonderful. It’s just –“

 

“What?” Aaron stepped closer and grabbed Spencer’s hands to stop him wringing them.

 

“I love Jack, Aaron.”

 

“I know.”

 

“And I already love Henry which is entirely illogical.”

 

“That’s normal, Spencer.”

 

“But I’m terrified. I’ve always been terrible with children but now I’m being trusted with the well-being of two of them. What are you and JJ thinking?”

 

“That you’re a wonderful man and that you’d make a wonderful father.” Spencer choked on a sob and Aaron pulled him into a hug, murmuring into his hair, “I love you too, Spencer. God, I love you. I’m sorry if I’ve made you doubt yourself with this whole thing but I love you and Jack loves you and you are a wonderful father to him.”

 

“I’m not Jack’s father,” Spencer argued, muffled by Aaron’s suit jacket.

 

“You’re as good as.”

 

Spencer pulled back and smiled. “Well, you should come meet my godson. He’s amazing.”

 

“I’m sure he is.” Aaron followed Spencer into the maternity ward thinking that he’d probably just missed the moment to tell Spencer about meeting with Hayley but he was sure another opportunity would present itself.

 

It didn’t. Suddenly, it was Sunday morning and Aaron was trying to bundle his still sleepy partner into his SUV for brunch.

 

“I don’t want brunch, Aaron. I want to sleep. And have sex. Don’t you want to have sex?”

 

“Yes,” Aaron assured him. Sex sounded much better than brunch with his ex-wife.

 

“You love morning sex.”

 

“I do.” Aaron pulled out of his parking space.

 

“We don’t get many opportunities to indulge that love.”

 

“True.” Aaron flicked the blinker and turned in the direction of the restaurant Hayley had chosen. It was only a ten minute drive away so he’d have to tell Spencer now but the words caught in his throat.

 

“What’s going on?” Spencer finally turned shrewd eyes his partner as they pulled into the car park of a clearly very kid-friendly diner.

 

Aaron switched off the engine and turned in his seat but refused to meet Spencer’s eyes. “We’re here to meet Jack… and Hayley. I phoned her to say that I wouldn’t ask you to leave when Jack stayed over and she said that she wanted to meet you and see you interact with Jack.”

 

“And you decided that this was something that you should surprise me with?”

 

“No, not exactly. There was just never a good moment to bring it up.”

 

“Honestly, Aaron,” Spencer groaned in frustration. “How are you such a decisive agent and so indecisive in your private life?” Aaron remained silent. “I love you. I do. So, don’t take this the wrong way, but right now I really want to kick you in the balls.”

 

Aaron instinctively shielded his crotch with one hand and Spencer looked up with a smirk on his face until they both dissolved into slightly hysterical laughter. “I’m sorry. I know I should have warned you,” Aaron gasped out through his laughter.

 

Spencer smiled at him and pressed a kiss to his lips. “Yes, you should have, but I would’ve freaked out so maybe it’s better this way. I reserve the right to kill you when we get home but let’s go be judged.”

 

Aaron nodded and they stepped out of the car together and walked into the restaurant together, holding hands unapologetically. Hayley was already sitting at a table with Jack who lit up when his father entered the room. “Daddy! Spence! Daddy!” Jack bounced in his chair until Hayley lifted him out of the booth and he ran over into his father’s arms.

 

“Hayley,” Aaron nodded to his wife as he hugged his son while Spencer waved nervously.

 

“Aaron. Dr. Reid.”

 

“Please – um – call me Spencer.” Spencer tucked his hair behind his ear.

 

“He’s Spence!” Jack confirmed and twisted until he was in Spencer’s arms. “Spence! Let’s go draw.” Jack wriggled until Spencer placed him on the ground.

 

“I think – uh – your mom wants to talk to me, Jack.”

 

“No, no. That’s okay. You go with Jack until the food arrives. We can talk later.” Spencer swallowed nervously but allowed Jack to drag him in the direction of the little tables grouped in a corner. He sat at one of the tiny chairs with his knees up to his ears and grabbed some crayons and markers from the bins at the centre of the table. Hayley and Aaron watched them in silence as Spencer started drawing something to Jack’s specifications, nodding slowly at Jack’s instructions.

 

“Well, Jack certainly likes him,” Hayley admitted grudgingly.

 

“He’s a good man, Hayley, and he adores Jack.”

 

“I can see that.” Hayley sighed as the waitress came to take their order. She ordered for Jack while Aaron excused himself to take Spencer’s order before returning to the table and adding another pot of coffee and pancakes to their order. “I’ll let him stay when Jack’s over but I hope you won’t expose our son to anything –“

 

“Jesus Christ, Hayley! I don’t bend Spencer over the kitchen table in front of Jack.”

 

“Well, no.” Hayley was red and looking around to make sure no one was listening. “I don’t suppose you do but – Aaron give me a break. I’m trying. I still don’t like this.”

 

“Okay, fine. I’m sorry.”

 

Food was served and Spencer and Jack re-joined them at the table. “Spencer drew me a robot triceratops. He’s fighting a poodle.”

 

“An evil poodle?” Aaron queried seriously.

 

“Duh!” Jack rolled his eyes and tucked into this stack of pancakes.

 

“Poodles are statistically likely to be evil,” Spencer offered as he filled his coffee.

 

“My aunt has a poodle,” Hayley fired back and Spencer choked.

 

“I – uh – I’m not really good with any dogs.” Spencer flushed and let his hair fall forward to cover his face.

 

“Your aunt’s poodle is evil, Hayley,” Aaron commented.

 

“Yeah, Fritz is mean,” Jack nodded and Hayley reluctantly nodded her agreement.

 

“So, Dr – Spencer, I mean, how long have you and Aaron been seeing each other?”

 

“A little over a year now,” Spencer answered looking around nervously for the trap.

 

“So, Jack,” Aaron interrupted, “Spencer’s going to be staying over again now.” Spencer looked at Aaron with such unbridled happiness and Aaron couldn’t help but grin back. The exchange was not lost on Hayley but Jack continued on oblivious.

 

“Awesome. He can make the toast. I don’t like your black toast, Daddy, and your eggs are all crunchy.”

 

Spencer and Hayley both choked back a laugh, sharing a brief moment of eye contact as Aaron attempted to defend his inability to crack eggs successfully.

 

Once they were back in Aaron’s apartment, Spencer pulled him into a deep kiss that stretched until both men were gasping for breath.

 

“So, you’re not going to kill me?” Aaron murmured, one thumb tracing Spencer’s cheekbone.

 

“Not today. I still reserve the right to snap at some undetermined point in the future.”

 

“I’ll bear that in mind,” Aaron murmured as he started walking Spencer back through the archway into his kitchen. Spencer looked around slightly bemused. “I made Hayley a promise,” Spencer groaned something that sounded suspiciously like not again, “I promised her that I wouldn’t bend you over the kitchen table when Jack was here.”

 

“Aaron!” Spencer squeaked as he was lifted onto the table and his lover positioned himself between his legs. “You didn’t actually say that to her.”

 

“I did,” Aaron growled, his teeth nibbling at Spencer’s earlobe as his fingers started on his own belt buckle.

 

“God,” Spencer squirmed as Aaron lapped behind his ear. “I can’t believe you said that. We’ve never had sex on the kitchen table.”

 

“I know. It seems like a major oversight on our part.” Aaron kicked off his shoes and shimmied out of his pants and boxers, his cock standing hard and demanding, drawing Spencer’s eyes down.

 

“Um, so you’re naked, pretty much naked,” Spencer commented, licking his lips. “We’ll need lube.”

 

“Got it,” turned and grabbed the olive oil from the countertop. “You should probably get out of those clothes.” Spencer stood quickly as pulled his T-shirt and sweater over his head in one smooth movement. He fumbled with his slacks until Aaron stepped forward and smoothly eased his belt from the loops before flicking open the button and slowly lowering the zipper. “You’re not wearing any underwear,” he purred.

 

“You were rushing me this morning,” Spencer muttered as Aaron’s traced a finger up his cock before kneeling in front of Spencer to unlace his shoes.

 

“I should rush you more often. Lift your foot,” Spencer complied until he stood completely naked in front of his lover. Aaron stripped off his own T-shirt and then leaned forward to lick a long stripe up the underside of Spencer’s cock, tracing the vein. He leaned forward so that his forehead was resting on Spencer’s thigh. “I love the way you taste.”

 

“Oh my God, please would you continue then?” Spencer gasped, his thumb tracing Aaron’s lips.

 

“Always.” Aaron wrapped one hand around the base of Spencer’s cock and lapped at the slit before sliding his lips down over the head. One of Spencer’s hands carded into his hair and pulled at the short strands. Aaron’s right hand reached up and rolled Spencer’s balls in his palm, tugging lightly to hear Spencer make that breathy groan. Sliding further down the shaft he felt Spencer hit the back of his throat and he moved his left hand to brace Spencer’s hips as swallowed. Spencer’s hips bucked, almost choking him and he hummed out a warning that had Spencer spreading his legs further. His right hand slipped back to knuckle behind Spencer’s balls and tease at his opening.

 

“Please,” Spencer gasped and pushed Aaron off his cock. “I want you inside me now.”

 

“Turn around,” Aaron’s voice had dropped an octave, sounding rough and gravelly from his abused throat. Spencer pulled him into a deep kiss before turning and bending over the table until his chest was flat against the smooth wooden surface.

 

“Is this how you wanted me?” He spread his legs and wiggled his ass provocatively.

 

“Yes,” Aaron hissed, spreading Spencer’s cheeks with his hands and rubbing his thumb over his hole. He reached for the olive oil and let it drip messily down Spencer’s crack before coating his fingers and sliding one in. Spencer gasped at the cold and the thick feeling of the oil, rotating his hips slightly with Aaron’s probing. Aaron added another finger and twisted until he felt Spencer’s whole body jerk and his lover whined in pleasure.

 

“Okay, it’s enough. Just fuck me already,” Spencer thrust back into Aaron’s hand to demonstrate his point and Aaron pulled his fingers free before slicking up his cock and nudging the blunt head at Spencer’s hole. Groaning as he slid in, he started at lazy pace, undulating his hips and shifting until Spencer was loose and gasping beneath him.

 

Leaning forward, Aaron threaded their fingers together and thrust harder, his body blanketed Spencer’s and he revelled in the little gasps and moans that escaped Spencer’s lips as his hip bones impacted against the table edge. There would be bruises and Aaron wasn’t sure what it said about him that sometimes he loved seeing those bruises on his lover’s body and on his own. That thought pushed him over the edge and he came hard and fast, his balls drawing up as he lost himself in the tight heat of Spencer’s body. Spencer was scrabbling against the table, trying to free his hand from Aaron’s grasp but Aaron was having none of it. He spun Spencer around and lifted him back onto the table until he was sprawled over the surface, his cock straining away from his body. Aaron leaned down and took him back into his mouth as he roughly shoved three fingers back into Spencer’s loose body and started massaging his prostate until he felt the sharp tang of Spencer’s spilling down his throat.

 

“This was so not hygienic,” Spencer panted, one hand stroking Aaron’s hair.

 

Aaron’s grunt was non-committal, “We’ll clean.”

 

“And do this again.”

 

“Definitely,” Aaron grinned and bit at Spencer’s already bruising hip bones.

 

Spencer winced and pulled sharply at Aaron’s hair. “Just no more ideas for our sex life from conversations with your ex-wife. It’s weird.” Aaron grinned and pulled Spencer up from the table and into the bathroom. It probably was weird but in that moment, Aaron was sure for the first time in months that things were finally looking up for his strange little family, which, of course, the universe took as a challenge.

 

Aaron was slumped forward in his chair next to Spencer’s bed when Hayley stepped into the hospital room. “Aaron?” she asked softly. Her ex-husband looked up with red-rimmed eyes. His tie was loose and his top button undone, his hair sticking up randomly from where he’d ran his hands through it in misery and frustration.

 

“Hayley?” his voice was hoarse and rough. “What are you doing here?”

 

“I spoke to JJ. I was worried when you left that message cancelling Jack’s visit. She told me what happened. Was it really anthrax? Is Spencer going to be okay?”

 

Aaron shook his head slowly, “I don’t know. They don’t know. Yes, it was anthrax. Hopefully they got the antidote into him in time but he was experiencing aphasia when he lost consciousness.”

 

“What’s that?”

 

“His words – he wasn’t able to talk. He couldn’t communicate what he was trying to say. It was just nonsense coming out.”

 

“Aaron, I’m so sorry.”

 

“Spencer is his words, Hayley. I mean, he’s so much more than that as well but his words, his mind, that’s Spencer. I can’t – I can’t lose him.”

 

Hayley rushed to Aaron’s side and knelt on the floor next to his chair, taking his hands in hers. “Shh, Aaron. It’s okay. No one knows anything yet but Spencer’s still here and he’s a fighter. I know that much.” Aaron nodded and let his tears fall onto their joined hands.

 

“You really love him.”

 

“I do.”

 

Hayley sighed and pressed a kiss to her ex-husband’s forehead. “I’m sorry for all the trouble I caused you both. I promise not to come between you again. Let me know if there’s anything I can do for you.”

 

“Thank you,” Aaron whispered.

 

“Call me when Spencer wakes up. When you get a minute.”

 

“I will.” Hayley walked to the door and stood there for a moment, looking back at Aaron and praying to God that Spencer would wake up because no one would be able to piece the broken parts of Aaron Hotchner back together if he didn’t.

 

Aaron woke to a weak hand carding through his hair and sat up instantly, wiping a line of drool from his mouth and looking into the dark-ringed eyes of the man he loved. “Spencer?” he asked hesitantly, terrified as to what would come out of Spencer’s mouth, if anything.

 

“You look terrible,” Spencer managed to croak before he dissolved into a coughing fit.

 

Aaron choked as tears starting spilling from his eyes. “Oh my God, I love you.”

 

“You too,” Spencer gasped as Aaron reached for the button to call the doctors. “Always.”


End file.
